What happened? Last I heard he was loving his setup, and thinking about swapping his front axle.

 

Same as 85grey, I need 4x4 on-the-fly. I lock my hubs all winter, and haven't had any issues. Can't be in 4x4 all the time but can't stop every time I need it, it could be 4-5 times per trip. Mind you our roads are packed snow in the winter for the mostpart here.

You can switch between 2HI and 4HI at any speed, this is also in the original manual. I do it all the time at many speeds. Just be light on the throttle when you switch, otherwise you may damage your joints by suddenly loading them.

Keeping your hubs locked part of the time will keep the grease moving too, if they sit too long your joints will rust or sieze (I've bought 3 trucks with this problem). Both of my Broncos say in their manuals as well that the hubs can stay locked and should be driven locked (even in 2WD) for a certain distance every month for lubrication.

Most of the common things I hear are only applicable to auto-locking hubs... You can't engage 4x4 while driving with auto hubs becasue the front driveline isn't spinning yet, and it'll be suddenly spun up, putting very high stress on it, or making your wheels skid. This doesn't apply if you're driving in 2WD with manual hubs locked; the driveline is already turning at the right speed. It's also auto-locking hubs where you have to roll backwards to disengage them. Manual hubs are disengaged when you feel the "click".

 

thats not actually true. shift on the fly and auto locking hubs go hand in hand. just look at the d50 straight axles. they are auto locking and manual locking hubs in 1. shift on the fly as fast as 60 iirc or lock them in for more extreme use. the only time its bad for them is if your spinning only your rear tires and kick it in. you have to be rolling same speed front and rear tires. and ya, you gotta drive backwards a few feet til you hear both sides "click" back into free spin mode.

 

not me.
i love and NEED my duallies because of the shorter tires (thus less load rating) i want to run to keep me lower,and lower my gearing for better hauling power,and many more reasons.

powerstroker is the one converting his C&C to SRW because he doesn't haul or tow heavy.

now is not the best of times to convert to duals though.
im likely going to pull 2 wheels for snow season myself.
the skinnier the tire,the less resistance,and better the traction in snow.

also not me about swapping to a D60.
i can't raise my ride height.

 

See this is the problem with buying a 20 year old truck, no manuals... Lol
I think I'm gonna leave them locked when working, and free the rest of the time. To much off road involved in this work...

 

Yeah I thought he was referring to him as well, problem is he's in New York, and I'm in British Columbia...

 

Sorry, corrected on the "can't", that's true, that is how my chev at work was, you could engage the 4x4 on the fly and the auto hubs would lock. The point being if your hubs are locked the driveline is already synchronised; the engagement of 4x4 thus doesn't cause handling or wear issues at speed.
The "same speed" issue is true of both types of hubs... engagement in a tight turn (possibly from a not-fully-engaged manual hub) or on ice with wheel slip can do a number. Years ago I wrecked an axle on my F150 when a not completely engaged hub caught while slipping on ice; the U-joint at the wheel bent the yoke into an oval.

 

You can run all winter with your hubs locked in. If it is making funny noises, then something needs servicing.

 

I have the auto locking ones and I never drove backwards to disengage them. does that mean it was in 4x4 until I drove in reverse?

Is it wrong to shift into 4x4 while driving with auto locking hubs??

 

You can shift in to 4X while driving. Some rigs bind up and the transfer case is hard to shift out of 4X with out backing up. If you can shift it you are going back to 2X.

 

oh, thanks, getting a little worried there....

 

you can do it however you want im just doing it the safest way possible for me because i have over 1500 dollars in my front end and don't want to take any possible chance at breaking anything also the outer axle shafts the ones that are only about 10 inches long with the splines are 175$ if you can't find one in a junkyard and around here thats rare to find a good one i don't want to know how much the longer inner shafts cost. the guy who owned the truck before me took the ah he&l drive it locked in 24/7 and overheated the hub ruining the lockout and the splines, burining up a bearing and toasting the axle shaft we barely saved the hub..... there's a million ways to do the same thing and if moneys no object it makes a million and one ways...... its completely up to the induvidual

 

they just stay locked until you go in reverse. the newer ones run on vacuum so it automatically unlocks when you shift outta 4x4.

 

The front hub bearings are turning the same speed with the hub locked or not, there is no more wear on the frontend with the hubs locked and the tcase in 2X than there is with a factory fulltime rig. If the bearings burn't up it was because they needing servicing.

People that never uses 4X has more trouble with this than those that use it occasionally.

 

thats what im getting at use it occasionally not full time it is not designed to be a full time unit or else thats what it would be.... full time there would be no lockout system and no shifter for the transfer case it would be full time